Be My Valentine?
by ZebraBow
Summary: A valentines story through the years involving our favorite pineapple shaped head genius and loud mouth blonde. Ino and Shika. Not your usual Valentines cup of tea.


_**Be My Valentine**_

_**By Jacqulin**_

_**Authors Note: So, this is just a cute little Shika/Ino that I wanted to write. Inspiration hit a couple of minutes ago and I decided that I just had to write this. I usually don't write based on holiday based themes, but this one feels special.**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. If I did I would be rolling in money rather than writing this. **_

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She was five when they first met. Her blue eyes were watery as she sat under a tree.

He was the only one who noticed she was missing. He left the playground and searched for her. She was sitting alone under a cherry tree. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

She slowly looked up to see who was talking to her. "I am _sniff _fine." she said.

"You don't sound okay." He sat down next to her and wondered if he should ask her what had happened to make her so upset. His dad had always told him not to do something if it was troublesome. On the other hand, his mom had told him that it wasn't nice to let a girl cry. He took a breath and asked her, "What happened?"

She was silent for a while and then began speaking. "You know what day it is today?"

"It's Valentine's day." He answered.

"I had made a heart and it was really pretty and my mommy and daddy said that it was the best heart in the world." She looked at the ground while her eyes became glazed. "So when I came to the park today, I gave Sasuke-san the heart. He tore it up and said that girls have cooties which I don't think is true because my mommy told me that cooties are just a myth."

"And then to make it worse, Naruto-san came up to me and said that no one would want to be a valentine with a loud and bossy girl." With that, the water works had begun.

He sat there and pondered about what she had just said. He knew that the Uchiha was cold hearted and Namikaze was just a loud mouth.

He looked at her and said, "You can be my valentine, if you want to."

She looked at him and smiled. "Really?"

"Yup."

"Pinkie promise?"

"Pinkie promise."

"By the way my name is Ino Yamanaka. What's yours?"

"I am Shikamaru Nara."

"Come on Shikamaru-kun. I want my mommy to meet my Valentine." And with that she dragged him off to the benches by the playground where the moms were sitting.

* * *

She was six when it was the next Valentine's Day. She was sitting in her seat and fidgeting. They were both in the same first grade class. And she could feel him glancing at her. She wanted to ask him if he was her Valentine again. If he said yes, she already had box of candy in her backpack just for him. If he said no, she could just laugh it off, right?

The recess bell rang and everyone went outside to play. She waited by the door for him. He was usually the last one out the door.

"Ino, are you alright? You don't look so good." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, I am fine. I just wanted to ask you something." she replied.

"Oh, before I forget. Here you go." He handed her a candy bracelet. "Happy Valentine's Day. I got you some roses too, but I thought it would be too troublesome to bring them too school. What did you want to ask me?"

She smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. "Oh, that. It was nothing." Her head was buried into his chest. He was tall for his age. She was inhaling his sent.

If she looked at his face, she would have seen that bright red blush.

* * *

They were both nine and they were cloud gazing. Ino had agreed earlier that her Valentine gift to him would be spending the entire day doing whatever he wanted to. They had started the day with a game of Shogi and Go.

It was around lunch time and the two best friends were planning on having a picnic on the grassy slope. He handed her the latest Back Street Boys CD.

She looked at him and said, "Thanks Shika-kun. You really are the best."

They were both content with their lives while watching the clouds roll by with their most favorite person.

* * *

He was thirteen when he realized that most of the male population was attracted to her. By now, everyone had known that each year, they were each other's Valentines. They also knew that they were nothing more than best friends. Even though it was painstakingly obvious to everyone else on the planet, both of them wanted more than that.

He was just the best friend. And he was okay with that, for now.

* * *

She was fifteen when she heard that Shikamaru Nara was going out with a sophomore from Suna High, named Temari No Subaka. She had dated a few guys before, but it never felt right. This was the first time that Shikamaru was dating someone.

So, it was no surprise when Temari asked her to stop the tradition of being Valentines with Shikamaru since Temari wanted to be his Valentine.

"Ano, Shikamaru-kun." Ino said.

"Yeah Ino." They were both in his room. Alone. And she didn't know what to say.

"I don't think we should be Valentines this year." She took a breath and hastily said, "I mean, I think… Temari-san should be your Valentine. It's only appropriate considering that you are dating."

He was sitting there in silence. "Ah, I see."

Days later when she saw them holding hands, her heart ached. Why were her emotions all over the place? Was she feeling that someone was taking her best friend away? Yes, that must have been it.

* * *

She was sixteen when she realized that she had come into the Nara household at the wrong time. She could hear Temari and Shikamaru fighting in his bedroom upstairs. She sat on the barstool in the kitchen and thought about her friendship with Shikamaru. Temari and Shikamaru had been dating for a little more than a year now. However, they had been fighting a lot recently.

And how much had Ino's and Shikamaru's relationship changed over the year? She barely saw him anymore. She had started hanging out with Hinata Hyuga. She was also dating a different guy every month. She needed to get rid of the constant feeling of loneliness. Before, she always had Shikamaru around to tell anything and everything to.

"IT'S ALWAYS HER!" Temari yelled.

Shikamaru remained silent.

Ino could tell that they were coming down the stairs. In a matter of seconds, they would see her sitting there.

"You don't understand, do you? I want it to be me." Temari said with sobs in between. Ino could tell Temari was crying.

Before Shikamaru could say anything, they both saw Ino sitting there. Temari's eyes widened. She looked at Shikamaru and said, "It's over. I don't want to be second anymore."

She walked over to where Ino was sitting and told her, "It's always been you." After that, she walked out of the front door and slammed it shut.

A few minutes of silence passed.

"Shikamaru-kun, I just wanted to come and say Happy Valentine's Day."

"Ah."

* * *

She was twenty-one and she was sitting in her apartment grading papers. She was an elementary school teacher. Shikamaru and her had been dating for a little more than four years now.

Ino sighed. She had been waiting for him to propose. Sakura and Sasuke were only dating for two months before they got married. They already had a little baby girl now. Ino knew she was envious of what Sakura had. She often wondered if Shikamaru was afraid of commitment. Maybe Shikamaru didn't love her, maybe…

The front door opened and it was the man she was thinking about. "Hey, let's go for a walk." He said.

They both got their coats and went outside. Ino's house was right across from the park. It was the same park where they had met sixteen year s ago. However, there weren't many people in the park today. It was February fourteen and most couples were spending their day doing something special.

Valentine's Day had always been an awkward event for the two due to their high school years when they had decided not to be each others Valentines. It was still awkward for Ino when she saw Temari around town.

Shikamaru and Ino sat down under a cherry tree, which looked all too familiar to Ino.

Shikamaru pulled out a velvet box and gave it to Ino. "Want to be my Valentine forever?"

She smiled at him and said, "Yes! Happy Valentine's day Shikamaru-kun."

* * *

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_**Authors Note: Hmm. This isn't what I am used to writing, but oh well. I might touch this up when I have the time. I started writing this quite late and I felt like I had to publish it on Valentine's Day or it would be pointless.**_

_**If you review, I promise more Ino/Shika stories. **_


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